Bhubaneswar: In a move aimed at increasing its revenue and ensuring better upkeep of sanitation facilities, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to grant advertisement rights on public toilets and loosely managed by it across the city.The civic body currently does not levy any user charges for its public toilet facilities and manages their operation and maintenance entirely from its own funds. By monetizing advertising spaces on these assets, officials said it hopes to generate revenue to support maintenance and improvement of services.As part of the initiative, BMC has floated a request for proposal (RFP) inviting bids from eligible agencies for exclusive advertisement rights on public toilets and loos located across all three municipal zones. The proposal covers 71 public toilets and 12 public loos, spread across wards with high public footfall.Officials said the selected agency will be responsible for designing, installing, operating and maintaining advertisement displays on designated surfaces of the toilet structures, in compliance with municipal norms. Advertisements can be installed on exterior or interior surfaces of the facilities, subject to prior approval by BMC.“The objective is to make public toilet management financially sustainable. Instead of collecting user fees, we want to ensure free access while using advertisement revenue for maintenance and cleanliness. The agency will not be allowed to put random ads,” said mayor Sulochana Das.The contract for advertisement rights will be awarded zone-wise through a competitive bidding process, with the highest bidder in each zone being selected. However, to prevent monopolisation, a single bidder will be awarded rights for only one zone even if it emerges as the highest bidder in more than one zone, officials said.Civic officials clarified that no advertisement will be allowed if it is deemed indecent, unsafe or against public interest. “The focus is on improving sanitation infrastructure while maintaining the city’s visual aesthetics. This will be a strict compliance to be maintained by the agency,” an official said.BMC manages a wide range of sanitation facilities, including community toilets, park toilets, electronic or smart toilets and public loos. The civic body officials said that the structured advertising rights will not only improve upkeep but also introduce uniformity and regulation in the use of public assets.